Brands

[Ron E]

what is the best , amc, revelle, mpc , monogram?

[stitchdup]

Depends what your looking for. I think most folk just go by subject matter rather than who makes it

[Monty]

Over the years, each one of those manufacturers made kits that were top notch, but they also made kits that were lacking in quality.  As stitchdup said above, sometimes only one mfr offered a kit of the car you wanted to build, so you bought it and made the best of it using your talents and whatever resources were available.  

[Deathgoblin]

That's a good way to start a modeler "rumble".    Just kidding.  They all have their ups and downs.  I'm not knocking on any of them, though.  Jo-Han had absolutely fantastic proportioned and detailed bodies and made cars no one else did, but a few of their kits were lacking on chassis/suspension detail and could be a little simple.  Tamiya kits typically almost fall together and have very positive parts location (this part goes HERE), but they can be a little fiddly sometimes and can have very high parts count.... etc.  All of them can turn out excellent stuff.   

[JollySipper]

Yep, there's good and bad in all of them! Here's a thread giving Monogram kits from the '80s some love.........

and One manufacturer can vary greatly from one kit to the next! Fujimi has a kit of the BMW M635CSi that's an 'Enthusiast' series kit. It has likely 250 parts or more....... On the other hand, Fujimi's kit of the BMW e30 M3 couldn't be more simple.... A juxtaposition of sorts!

 

[Ulf]

9 hours ago, JollySipper said:

Yep, there's good and bad in all of them! Here's a thread giving Monogram kits from the '80s some love.........

and One manufacturer can vary greatly from one kit to the next! Fujimi has a kit of the BMW M635CSi that's an 'Enthusiast' series kit. It has likely 250 parts or more....... On the other hand, Fujimi's kit of the BMW e30 M3 couldn't be more simple.... A juxtaposition of sorts!

 

It's a nice thread, Monogram's kit really deserves some more love. Some 80s are great, some 70s are charming.

[peteski]

There is no simple answer to  this question.

Generally Tamiya produces models with best fitting parts, but you are limited to the subjects they sell.  This hobby is not about best manufacturer but what specific subject you want to model. If you research the specific model you want to build and then you find out that multiple companies make the model of the same vehicle, then you can start asking which manufacturer's model of that particular vehicle is the "best". Best is also relative as some models of the same vehicle might have certain options not available in the kit of the same vehicle from another manufacturer.

Edited May 4 by peteski

[Rbray47]

8 hours ago, peteski said:

There is no simple answer to  this question.

Generally Tamiya produces models with best fitting parts, but you are limited to the subjects they sell.  This hobby is not about best manufacturer but what specific subject you want to model. If you research the specific model you want to build and then you find out that multiple companies make the model of the same vehicle, then you can start asking which manufacturer's model of that particular vehicle is the "best". Best is also relative as some models of the same vehicle might have certain options not available in the kit of the same vehicle from another manufacturer.

I really wish Tamiya offered more. I love their modern kits. 

[Fat Brian]

As others have said, every manufacturer has great kits and duds. Another thing to consider beyond manufacturer is that all the companies have kits of varying ages. Some tools are new and other have been kicking around since the car was new, and even some new tools have been... lacking I guess. The best way to know what you're getting is to read reviews here and videos on YouTube. 

[Ulf]

17 hours ago, Rbray47 said:

I really wish Tamiya offered more. I love their modern kits. 

I once read an interview with Mr. Tamiya in the 80's where he said that the vehicles that Tamiya chooses to make have something unique something that challenges. Whether the vehicle is popular in 1:1 did not seem to be that important actually. 

[Carmak]

Depending on your definition of "best" even Tamiya has issued some less than "best" kits.

In the 80's many curbside (no kit engine) Tamiya kits used chassis that were very toy like. These kits were designed to be adapted to electric motors so they could function as a toy.

The bodies on these kits were outstanding and they assembled well but the chassis was simply a way to connect the wheels to the body.

[Bill Anderson]

Glad to hear the positivity about Tamiya kits.  Once I finish the 427 Cobra (getting close), my next attempt will be the Tamiya Ford GT.  This is my first Tamiya model, although I believe I've worked every other regular brand kit since I was 11 or so (I'm 81).